Magit

A complete, keyboard-driven Git interface that runs inside Emacs, widely considered the gold standard.

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Magit

Magit is a Git interface implemented as an Emacs package, and many developers who have used it consider it the best Git client available. It presents a status buffer where every section can be expanded, and each Git operation is reachable through short mnemonic key sequences shown in pop-up menus, so complicated tasks such as interactive rebases, partial commits of individual lines, fixups, reflog recovery and worktree management take only a few keystrokes. Its companion package Forge brings GitHub and GitLab issues and pull requests into Emacs. Magit is free software under the GPL-3.0, maintained by Jonas Bernoulli and supported largely by donations. It runs wherever Emacs runs, which means Linux, macOS and Windows, though it can be slow on Windows and on enormous repositories because it calls the Git binary. The obvious barrier is Emacs itself: people who do not already use it face a steep learning curve, which is why Magit-inspired clones exist for Neovim and the terminal.

Best for: Emacs users who want the fastest, most complete keyboard-driven Git workflow.

What works

Covers almost all of Git through discoverable key menus
Line-level staging and painless interactive rebase
Free software with a long, stable history

Why people leave

Requires Emacs, which is a big learning investment
Can be slow on Windows and huge repositories
No graphical commit graph

Top Magit alternatives

See all 5

1
Neogit
A Magit-inspired Git interface for Neovim users.
66.5
2
Gitu
Magit's workflow in a standalone terminal app, no Emacs needed.
62.6
3
Fugitive
The long-standing Git plugin for Vim, if your editor is Vim rather than Emacs.
59.6
4
lazygit
Keyboard-driven and editor-independent, with an easier start.
57.2
5
GitLens
Brings rich Git history and blame into VS Code for editor-centric workflows.
55.3

Why people left Magit

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Magit: common questions

Is Magit free?

Yes. Magit is free, open-source software.

Is Magit open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at magit/magit.

What platforms does Magit run on?

Magit is available for Linux, macOS and Windows.

What are the best alternatives to Magit?

The highest-ranked Magit alternatives right now are Neogit, Gitu and Fugitive. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Magit alternatives

Magit facts

4 of 4 verified

License: GPL-3.0; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “License: GPL-3.0 (GNU General Public License v3.0).”
Runs in: Emacs; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “A Git Porcelain inside Emacs..”
Interface: Text-based UI with mnemonic keys; Checked Oct 25, 2026magit.vc(opens source in a new tab); “A Git Porcelain inside Emacs "> A Git Porcelain inside Emacs Magit is a complete text-based user interface to Git .”
Maintainers: Jonas Bernoulli, Kyle Meyer, Noam Postavsky; Checked Oct 25, 2026magit.vc(opens source in a new tab); “Credits Magit was started by Marius Vollmer , and is now maintained by Jonas Bernoulli , Kyle Meyer , and Noam Postavsky .”